Passing the Torch
by LIFE the RANGER
Summary: Kendall and James' pride and joy Jacobi, they sadly discover, is being tormented for having gay parents. Logan, his preschool teacher, also noticing something is up with the normally happy little boy. Is Jacobi carrying a burden he doesn't want. Rated M for language and later more violent scenes. WILL HAVE JACOBI'S POV AS WELL.
1. Chapter 1

Kendall's POV

…

"Daddy?" James and I both started at the sound of a little voice. I groped around in the dark until I found the button that turned on my bedside lamp. I looked into the little brown eyes of our son Jacobi. We adopted him about a year ago, and now he was a bubbly little four year old.

"What is it sweetie?" I asked, picking him up and setting him between me and his other daddy. James reached over and gently ran his fingers though his short blonde hair. One of the reasons we loved him so much was there was a little bit of both of us in him. It really brought to life our idea of a family of our own. "Did you have another ni' mare?" I used his word for nightmare (hey at four he's allowed to say things like that). He nodded and James hugged him close. I added myself to the hug until we had him sandwiched between us.

"What was it about this time Jacobi?" James asked, ever the logical thinker. He picked Jacobi up and set him on his lap. Jacobi looked up at James, and then at me.

"The kids at preschool made fun of me 'cause I have two daddies." James and I shared a look over his head. I had the distinct feeling that it wasn't so much a nightmare so much as a memory.

"Just preschool?" James questioned the youth. I breathed a sigh of relief. He'd steered the conversation away from the one talk we really didn't want to talk about with Jacobi, not yet anyway.

"Well, in elementary too. Some second graders," he admitted. I sighed. Kids were cruel. "What's a fag?" he suddenly asked. James and I started. We were shocked, to say the least. We never used language like that around here or exposed Jacobi to anything with language like that. "The second graders used it," he said upon seeing our shocked expressions. Leave it to the four year old to keep his head about him. He was one smart cookie, though don't tell him I said that one; he absolutely hated being called smart.

"It's a bad word and we will not say it in this household, okay pumpkin," I said, ruffling his hair and giving him a nose kiss. His little giggles penetrated my foggy mind and made me smile. "Now why don't you go back to sleep in your own bed. You're too big to sleep with your daddies now." He smiled and held up his hands. James stood up and picked him up. "Take him to go potty first," I said, feeling ridiculous at using such a word as _potty._ "We don't want him having another accident. I don't have his potty mat in his bed yet." James nodded his understanding and disappeared out the door with Jacobi. I rested my head against the headboard. Now that I was awake I didn't think I could sleep again. Jacobi's memory filtered through my cluttered thoughts until it fit itself together like a jigsaw puzzle. He was getting teased for my and James' sexuality.

"This is a real problem." I started and opened my eyes, unaware I'd closed them in the first place. James crawled back into his spot and pulled the comforter over our laps. "Isn't he a little young to get picked on for such a thing? After all he's only four." I heard the steel in his voice, and I knew this was going to get very ugly very fast if I didn't play peacemaker.

"You know kids," I joked halfheartedly. James turned his intense hazel eyes on me and I sighed. "Look he's going to have to develop a thick skin for school anyway." I said, rubbing circles on his leg to keep him calm. "I know you don't want anything bad to happen to him. But that's part of growing up," I added. James finally sighed.

"Kendall he's our everything. Not only the little boy we adopted and love but a living symbol of our future," he finally said, staring off in the distance. "I don't want to pass our burden off onto him when he's still so young." Tears pricked his eyes, and I felt them too. He was right. No matter how mature he gets, right now he's still very young; too young to know what burden he's going to carry one day with gay parents at his back. "Do you think he'll end up resenting us?" James asked, voicing my own thoughts to me.

"I sure hope not James," I said, not sure how to respond. I cocked my head to the side. "Jacobi's crying," I said to James. That set him off. He bolted out of the bed and ran down the hall. He came back holding a whimpering Jacobi. "Sweetheart," I cooed softly, taking him from James. I rocked him gently until his whimpers died down. "Do you know what was wrong babe?" I asked.

"No," James said, sounding puzzled. "I just ran in and saw him sitting up in his bed. His nightlight was still on. He hadn't wet the bed. Maybe he had another ni' mare." I stroked his head and kissed his nose. I looked up at the brunette in front of me. "Jacobi," I said softly. "What's wrong?"

"Ni' mare," he said shakily, confirming our suspicions. "Kids were beating me up and calling me a fag. Daddy, are you and daddy fags?"

Another Look.

"No sweetheart," James said as I smoothed down his hair. "Those people don't even know what they're talking about. Baby," he said, turning to me. "I don't care if he's four and 'too big' to sleep with us. We should let him anyway." I nodded agreement and as James crawled into his spot, and laid him between us.

"Daddy?" he asked and naturally bot of us looked. "Mikhail said that having two daddies isn't normal. But it is, isn't it?"

Once again, another look.

"Well son…" James began, but trailed off. I took the hint.

"Jacobi," I said, turning him to look at me. "Having two daddies is a special thing. Not everyone can have two daddies like you can." That must have made sense to his small preschool brain because he snuggled down and closed his eyes. "Babe," I said softly so I wouldn't wake Jacobi. "Why did he have to ask if we were a normal family? Do we look like a normal family? People are going to judge him simply because we're his parents."

"Baby," he said gently. "It isn't our fault anymore than it is his. Now try and get some sleep."

…

Logan's POV

…

I was up "grading" papers. For preschoolers, that amounted to sticking a star sticker on the top of their artwork. Right now I was looking at family pictures. They all began to look the same after a little while. One mom. One dad. One to five children. Don't say preschoolers don't know what they're doing; they do. I ran my fingers through my close cropped hair and studied the latest picture. Something about it seemed off. Then I realized what it was. In this picture there were three males. The smallest one I recognized as Jacobi, one of my many students. One of the older males was blonde with green eyes, the other brown with hazel eyes. Kendall and James! So that's who Jacobi's parents were. I never saw them at school. Jacobi rode the special blue bus for preschoolers home.

It was quite the picture. Jacobi had drawn himself right between Kendall and James, with both his tiny hands in one of theirs. Behind them stood a white washed house. In the clouds in the unbelievably blue sky was a pair of eyes watching over the tiny family. I smiled and stuck two gold stars on the top, making sure not to cover the eyes in the clouds. I set I aside, but something about it stuck with me. Jacobi was a quiet kid. I never really saw him play with the other kids in the classroom, and on the playground just for my students he sat by himself by the fence. Perhaps I should have a talk with his…dads…about hid behavior. It wasn't antisocial so much as reserved. Perhaps he was getting picked on.

"Jacobi, something's up," I whispered to his picture. "You seem like a good kid. You have a positive home life at least. Why so shy?"

…

Kendall's POV

…

I tossed and turned but finally gave up on the prospect of sleep. I sat up and stared down at Jacobi, my little pride and joy. I felt horrible for his nightmares and torment. Already introduced to a world we've been trying to prevent him from seeing. It was definitely going to be challenging. I smoothed back his hair and he sighed in his sleep. I smiled. Even if everything was happening fast, he was still my little baby.


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, so I promised Jacobi's POV, so here it is. Enjoy. _

_In this one you'll see a little bit how Jacobi is treated._

…

Jacobi's POV

…

"I hate school," I whispered to my friend Mikhail as we wrote three letters, over and over, with a big, thick black crayon. Mr. Mitchell never let us use pencils to write. He said we'd hurt ourselves. So the room was always full of, you guessed it, crayons. I finished writing my h and set the paper aside. "Kids aren't nice to me. They call me a fag. What's a fag?" Mikhail turned to look at me. Mikhail was five, and knew everything about everything.

"I think it's a name the call boys that like boys," he said matter-of-factly, studying his own work. He set his paper aside. I saw two more letters on his paper. I guess he got to write more because he's older.

"I don't like boys," I said as I slid out of my seat. Mr. Mitchell said once we were done with our spelling we could play. I went over to the block corner and began stacking big blocks up until it was almost as tall as I was. Mikhail joined me. "My daddies like each other. They are boys." Mikhail nodded. He knew my daddies. Everyone in Sherwood knew my daddies. They were the biggest, most watched couple around.

"Not everyone knows that," Mikhail finally replied. He reached up and set a triangle block on the top of the tower. "Do you like boys?" I reached over and slapped him on the back. Mr. Mitchell just happened to be walking by.

"No hitting Jacobi," he said gently. I had a feeling he was holding back. "Instead use your words." He walked off to monitor a kid trying to get into the bathroom. I turned back to the tower and started a new one since I couldn't reach the top anymore.

"No I don't," I said. But my words got lost as the loud recess bell rang. All us little preschoolers lined up by the door from shortest to tallest, the way Mr. Mitchell made us line up for everything. We shuffled out and dispersed when we got outside. We had our own playground, with our own equipment, including a couple of bikes, a basketball hoop, and a sandbox. I headed for my usual spot by the fence. Today Mikhail followed me, rather than grabbing the only training-wheeled bike we have for the class. I looked at him in surprise. He stared passed me.

"Hey look the big kids are out too," he exclaimed, pointing. I twisted around and looked and saw he was right. The kids from first, second, and third grade were out playing in the big park (the kindergartners shared our playground). I noticed the boys that picked on me yesterday.

"Those kids gave me ni' mares," I told Mikhail. His eyes narrowed at the boys. They must have sensed us looking at them because they wandered over. Mikhail and I scrambled backwards, out of the way of their hands if they decided to stick them through the fence (our playground had a separate fence around it).

"Hey look, it's the dyke tyke," one of them scoffed, causing laughter from the other boys. I felt my cheeks turn red. "So dyke tyke, tat your boyfriend?" That made Mikhail mad. I saw his hands clench into fists at his side. "What do you plan on doing wif him?" My eyebrows rose up. Clearly this one had a speech impediment when it came to the th sound.

"That's gross!" one of the others shouted. Mikhail and I exchanged amused looks. They were taking on each other now. "Why would you even ask tat?" All of them seemed to have problems with the th sound. Even Mikhail could say it, and he was a few years younger than they were. They were looking around, and Mikhail gripped my upper arm.

"They're looking for the gate. Jacobi," he whispered. I gulped as they located the latch. They flipped it open easily and stalked inside. The first one that spoke grabbed me by the front of my Cars t-shirt and lifted me clear off the ground. Tears began pooling in my eyes.

"I'll ask you again," he growled right in my face. "Is tat your boyfriend?" Despite my current situation, I couldn't help but giggle. His tough bully act lost all its luster when he had to say _tat._ That only proceeded in making him even madder. He slammed me into the ground so hard my head bounced back up. I groaned and reached behind me, pulling my hand back to study my own blood.

"Jacobi!" Mikhail wailed. The three boys were so focused on me they forgot all about him. Too late. "Mr. Mitchell! Mr. Mitchell, come quick!" I saw my teacher running right at us. The three older boys scrambled away back into their own park. Mr. Mitchell gently picked me up and carried me inside, with Mikhail hot on his heels.

…

"Now Mr. Knight and Mr. Diamond," Mr. Mitchell began. It was after school. I didn't get to ride my bus home like I do any other day. Mr. Mitchell made me stay until he called my daddies to come and get me. But we couldn't go right when they got there. Mr. Mitchell wanted to talk to them.

"It's no biggie," I said as I rubbed the gauze the nurse had wrapped around my head to stop the blood. My dark haired daddy had immediately scooped me up in his arms and hugged me close, crushing the breath right out of me. I saw tears falling down his face. My blonde daddy's face too. It was nice of them to care about me, even if I wasn't biologically their own.

"It wasn't his own fault," Mr. Mitchell explained as he told them about the fight. "The second graders started it. I'm going to talk to their teachers about their behavior. They shouldn't have even gotten inside the gate."

"That's the problem!" my dark haired daddy exploded. "That gate should be locked at all times! No older kids should even threaten the preschoolers!" He had scooped my up again and was once again squeezing the life right out of me. He was crushing my family picture. I got two stickers. I didn't want him to ruin it.

"Your cwusing my pictuwe," I said (yeah yeah, as degrading as it is, I talk like that in front of them). That caused both my blonde daddy and Mr. Mitchell to burst out laughing. Dark haired daddy glared at them for a minute before joining in. I looked at all of them in confusion. Blonde daddy took my Spiderman backpack from me.

"Lets see what you drew pumpkin," he said as he rifled around in my bag. I bit my lower lip and snuggled against Dark haired daddy. I'd missed my nap and I was getting tired. "Sweetie this is incredible." That was the last thing I heard.

…

Kendall's POV

…

"Baby this is a serious problem," James said. I twisted around in my seat and looked at Jacobi. He was slumped over in his car seat, fast asleep. I smiled. Even with his bandaged head, he looked adorable. And I couldn't really blame him for wanting some sleep. It was well after seven. By now he should be getting ready for bed. I pulled my gaze away from him and looked at James. My smile faded and I turned to look out the window.

"I know babe," I replied as we pulled into our driveway. I hopped out and circled around the car and opened up Jacobi's door. He sat right behind James. We both knew it was safer for him in the middle, but James wanted his seat behind the drivers side. I unbuckled his harness and lifted him out. "We should let him set in it like a booster seat," I said to James. He made a face and rubbed Jacobi's back.

"Not yet," he replied. Ever the cautious husband he was. I kissed him on the cheek and carried Jacobi inside. I shook his shoulder. He opened his eyes.

"Hi pumpkin," I said. "Time to go potty then get your jammies on." He yawned and nodded. I took him down the hall to the bathroom. James trailed behind us. "What is it babe?" I asked him as I set Jacobi down in front of the toilet. I turned to look at James. He motioned me closer and I pressed myself against him. "What," I whispered.

"I hated today. The thought of anyone harming our precious angel makes my blood boil. Are we doing the right thing letting Logan monitor him at school? I want to sit outside the fence myse…" I kissed his lips. Frankly, I did it to shut him up. It worked. His hands slid around my waist, and we began to kiss in earnest.

"Gwoss!" Jacobi exclaimed. I pulled away and gave James and amused smile. I turned to Jacobi.

"All done pumpkin?" I asked. He nodded and held up his hands. I picked him up and carried him to his room. As always, James wasn't too far behind. No matter who Jacobi was with, he always wanted to keep him in his sights. I tucked Jacobi into his bed. He yawned and rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. James and I tiptoed out of his room. I turned on his nightlight before closing his door. We made our way to our room and laid in our bed.

"I don't know how I feel about Jacobi having this giant weight placed on his shoulders right now while he's four," James finally said. I nodded. I knew exactly how he felt.

…

Logan's POV

…

I contemplated on what to do. I'd already placed a combination lock on the gat into the play yard and talked to the three boys teachers. The students had to go to in school suspension for a week. I would've given them longer but I wasn't their teacher. After Jacobi had fallen asleep, James, Kendall, and I had talked for awhile. Both of them voiced their concerns over Jacobi getting beat up. Mikhail relayed the conversation to me shortly after the incident happened. I was puzzled by a student's use of the words fag and dyke (that one set James off. Kendall had to take Jacobi from him so he wouldn't hurt him). I sighed and rolled over in my bed. Not even eight and I already felt drained for the day.

You see, James and Kendall have been my friends for about forever. We've all grown up right here in Sherwood, where we all talked about raising families. But never before had any of us imagined this is how one of our own would be treated. Jacobi was practically family to me, and it tore my heart to see him getting bullied for something that was out of his control.

I sat up in bed and reached for the phone. I punched in a number and sat there while it rang. I was getting nervous by the time it got to the fifth ring. I hung up. I couldn't do it. I stood up and moved to the window. I gazed outside at the dark, lukewarm night. I jumped as my phone rang. I stared down at the caller id and my heart swelled when I saw that familiar number.

"Hey," I said immediately, smiling.

"Hey there Logan," Carlos said. "Is something bothering you?" Leave it to him to get right to the point.

"Listen I have a favor to ask of you. Do you think you could come and uh sit outside the school fence to my preschool class at recess time? Kendall and James' little boy is getting bullied because of his dad's sexuality. I heard Carlos' intake of breath.

"I'll be there," he replied, voice steeled. "No one messes with family." I smiled at that. Hopefully Carlos could provide some insight.

…

James' POV

…

I laid awake for a long time. I couldn't get the images of the beating as described by Logan out of my head. I could practically hear the thud little Jacobi's head made as it was slammed against the ground. I could hear, though his ears, the words the kids said. Feel the pain and the sting at the words dyke tyke. Although the father in me was mad. No one calls my baby that. Well one of my babies. I stared down at Kendall's sleeping form. I smiled as I stroked his hair back and kissed his forehead. I got up slowly (I slept on the outside) and approached Jacobi's room slowly. I cracked open the door and peeked in on him. He was sprawled out on his mattress, Cars blanket tossed aside. I smiled and crept inside. I tucked the blanket back around him and crept back out before he could wake up. Once back in the hall, I slumped against the wall across from his door.

"Oh Jacobi," I breathed. "My precious baby boy, are we giving you a weight you just can't carry?"

…

_Well I hope you enjoyed some touching family moments. And enter Carlos. I'm wicked haha. Anyways tell me what you think. _


	3. Chapter 3

_Okay everyone. Slow going but chapter three is here. _

…

James' POV

…

To say I was worried about my four-year-old child's safety would be putting it mildly. I was in full on panic mode when we pulled up in front of the school. Jacobi seemed less enthused than I did to be here. As Logan promised us yesterday, he came out and waited beside our car while Kendall unstrapped Jacobi and set him on the sidewalk. He took our son's hand and led him inside. I watched anxiously as his little tuft of blonde baby hair disappear in the crowd of other little public preschoolers. I bit my lower lip as Kendall climbed back into the car and took my hand.

"Baby, it'll be fine," he said soothingly. "Logan called shortly after you fell asleep. He called in a favor from an old friend." I pondered that for a moment before I noticed a vaguely familiar black Ford truck pulled into the teacher parking lot and out stepped…

"Carlos!" I gasped. He looked right at our little car and gave us a smile. He walked briskly inside, jaw set. He was not the goofy kid we once knew. Today he was all business, and he looked the part too. Lean, slightly muscular body covered in an almost skin tight long sleeved collarless shirt and tight, black skinny jeans (which didn't work on most people but Carlos could miraculously pull off). I figured by now this was more than just a simple favor. "Methinks Carlos hopes to get lucky tonight," I whispered to Kendall, who snorted with laughter.

"Methinks so too," he whispered back, gently squeezing my hand. I smiled as I squeezed back and gripped the steering wheel at the same time. Seeing Carlos didn't make me any more optimistic than earlier. I was still very worried about my four-year-old, no matter what Kendall said to me.

…

Jacobi's POV

…

"How's your head doing tough guy?" Mikhail asked as soon as Mr. Mitchell brought me inside the classroom. I rubbed my eyes. Nightmares had plagued me throughout the night, and I didn't want to wake my daddies again, so I didn't get much sleep. Mr. Mitchell took my backpack and went to hang it on my hook. Mikhail watched my closely as I wandered over to the reading corner and collapsed into a beanbag chair. "Dude you're bags have bags. Did you sleep?" Leave it to Mikhail to get straight to the point, despite the fact all I wanted to do was tape his mouth shut so I could get some sleep.

"I didn't sleep at all last night," I mumbled into the chair. "Ni' mares kept me up all night." I felt myself being lifted into the air and being set on my feet. I didn't want that. I stared into the eyes of Mr. Mitchell.

"Jacobi, it's not nap time yet. Why don't you go play for awhile?" I was so flustered at that point I was truly upset. I sat down and began to wail. Mr. Mitchell turned bright red as everyone slowly turned to look at me. 'Jacobi," he shouted over my wails. "Please calm down. Kendall said you didn't get any sleep." He picked me up and my wails ceased. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. I heard him sigh before I felt myself being carried off.

…

Logan's POV

…

After Jacobi's outburst I wasn't sure what to do with my class. Everyone wanted to know where Jacobi was. He seemed popular enough when he wasn't there, yet he never seemed to want to play with anyone but Mikhail. I'd dropped him off at the nurse's office so he could get some uninterrupted sleep. James and Kendall warned me when he was tired he could be a handful. They weren't kidding. Jacobi flipped out when I tried to hand him over to the nurse. I had to stay with him until he fell asleep holding onto my shirt.

"He'll be back just before lunch," I finally told my rambunctious class. That seemed to settle down everyone but Mikhail. He still looked like he was ready to cry, which was unlike Mikhail. But being a preschool teacher I always expected meltdowns, like the one Jacobi had earlier, and like the one Mikhail seemed ready to have. "Mikhail," I said, stooping down to his level. "Jacobi is just fine. He was just really sleepy, and one he gets sleepy, he gets cranky." Mikhail wiped his eyes, but his lower lip trembled.

"I need to go see him Mr. Mitchell," he said to me. "Pretty please?" Sighing, I led Mikhail down the hall to the nurse's office. I stood at the doorway while Mikhail went to the sleeping form of Jacobi. I smiled as Mikhail whispered to Jacobi softly. My smile faded when Mikhail leaned down and kissed Jacobi's forehead. _Please_, I thought to myself._ Please don't let this be the start of a burden he isn't ready to carry._

…

Kendall's POV

…

"How did it go today?" James asked as Jacobi played with his trucks at our feet. He made little engine noises, and I couldn't help but smile (I do that a lot with Jacobi around). Logan gave us a look, and I had a feeling today was a little patchy.

"We had a small meltdown this morning. He was really tired." I looked down at Jacobi, who didn't seem to hear Logan. He kept playing like nothing was going on. "And," Logan added, lowering his voice. "One of my other students, Mikhail, visited Jacobi when he was sleeping and gave him a kiss." Now both James and I turned to look at our four-year-old.

"Mikhail?" he asked like he heard nothing. "He kissed me? Yucky." I smiled. That seemed to quench our fears. "Can I sweep wit you tonight?" he asked, melting our hearts as he held up his hands. James picked him up and set him on his lap. Jacobi settled in closing his eyes.

"Carlos said no one bothered him at recess. Then again he didn't do much at recess today." I shot James a worried glance, and he looked slightly agitated. Our son, not running around and playing outside? That was unheard of around our house. He practically begged to go outside and play. "I think this whole ordeal has him shaken," Logan commented, voicing our concern. "He doesn't seem like himself today. And since I've watched him grow up, I know how he acts." James nodded and hugged Jacobi, causing him to cry out.

"Daddy you're cwusing me!" James released him, and I took Jacobi before James could do it again. Jacobi wiggled until I let him down. He wandered around the room, looking lost. "Daddy I wanna play!" he wailed at us. James and I exchanged our hundredth look and I picked him up. "Play!" he wailed. I sat back down and began rocking him. He yawned, but tried to get off all the same.

"Someone's tired," James said knowingly. I nodded and watched him sit at my feet and suck on his thumb, something he really only did when he was ready for bed. Here's the kicker. It was only four p.m. He yawned again, showing off the gap in his teeth where he lost his first one two weeks ago. "Come here big guy," James said, picking him up.

"I want my cup!" he wailed. I reached down and grabbed his sippy cup, which was sitting beside my chair (think realistically people, he's only four). He took it and began to drink. It was his favorite one, the one that changed colors and was decorated with Lightning McQueen from Cars. He quieted down and watched us.

"So I think if he gets a good nights sleep tonight, tomorrow he should be back to his playful self," Logan said quietly as Jacobi's eyes began to close. James bounced his gently until he began snoring softly. "Down and out. Isn't it really early for bed though?" James nodded and I reached over and gently shook his shoulder. He opened his eyes and swatted at me. "Oh Jacobi," Logan said with a smile, rolling his eyes. Jacobi tried to close his eyes again, and this time James shook his shoulder. Jacobi began to cry at being woken up a second time.

"I think we better go," James shouted over the cries. He stood up and I followed suit. I picked up Jacobi's Cars cup, which he dropped when he began his temper tantrum. "We should change him into pajamas before we go!" James shouted at me as he reached into the "diaper bag" (which was really just a backpack) and pulled out Jacobi's favorite Cars footie pajamas. He disappeared inside the bathroom, but not before he handed me the diaper bag. He came out moments later with Jacobi all changed. Jacobi still looked tired though.

"Come here baby," I cooed, taking him from James. He rested his head on my shoulder and closed his eyes. "Thanks for talking to us again," I called over my shoulder at Logan. HE gave a kind of Miss America wave as we walked out to our car. I strapped Jacobi into his seat and watched his head slump over. I circled around and slid into the passenger seat. I looked at James. "Baby," I began slowly. "This whole thing with Mikhail…" He slammed the car into reverse so suddenly it pressed me into the seat. "Baby calm down!" I cried over the squealing tires.

"Babe, I don't want to think about what that could mean for our precious baby boy," James said as the car came to a standstill. "Kendall." I knew this was serious. He never said my name any more, I was always babe. "We knew something like this would happen, but I thought it would happen later in his life, when he was better able to grasp the situation. He's still a baby, Kendall." I saw his eyes cloud over, and realized this whole thing was taking a huge toll on my wonderful husband and caring father. The father in both of us wanted to protect Jacobi whatever the costs, but the realist in us (or at least me) said to let him fight his own battles. He'd have to eventually.

_No!_ I screamed at myself. _I don't want him to fight a battle he can never win…_ On that happy note I took a shaky breath. James glanced sideways at me. He gave me the tiniest of smiled and twined our fingers together and pulling my hand up to his mouth, gently kissing my fingertips. I smiled. There was my sweet husband. If anything, we needed to put on our brave face, for Jacobi's sake.

We got to our house and James grabbed Jacobi like the car was on fire. He ran him inside, and I was hot on his heels. Jacobi didn't even stir. Poor baby, he was so tired. James laid him carefully in our bed and it looked like he was debating pulling our comforter over him. I handed him Jacobi's favorite blanket instead. It was blue, and had frogs jumping all over it. James smiled and tucked it around Jacobi, who snuggled down inside and kept right on sleeping. We tiptoed out, and I pulled the door shut softly behind us.

"Kendall I don't know if I want him carrying our burden just yet. He's our baby boy, there must be something we can do." I sighed and gripped his forearm, forcing him to look at me.

"James," I said slowly. Al seriousness now. "If there was something we could do that would ultimately not embarrass him, I would do it in a heartbeat. May that as it be, he should fight his own battles. And," I added holding up my hand when James opened his mouth to protest. "I know he's our miracle, in more ways than he may know. But please, leave it be. I think we should phone Mikhail's mom," I finally said, holding up our shared cell phone. James took it, and though he didn't look any happier than before, he dialed the number.

"Hi…yes this is Jacobi's dad…um Mr. Diamond…no he gets his last name from Kendall…" I listened to the conversation intently. "That's not the point…your son and my son our best friends at preschool…yes Mikhail is a good friend to Jacobi…um yes we heard too…well okay then." James hung up and looked at me. "She knew Mikhail kissed Jacobi. She thinks it's cute." I made an exasperated face.

"So that accomplished nothing," I said angrily, punching the wall next to me. "All we get from her is too cute. It's not cute, it's causing tauntings we swore we would never let happen!" I felt James' arms go around me, holding me tight. I began to sob, crying out all frustrations and anger.

"Daddy?" Both James and I turned (sorry force of habit) and saw Jacobi standing at the hall doorway, lower lip trembling slightly. "I want to go ni ni," he whimpered. James scooped him up and that caused him to wail. "I want blonde daddy to tuck me in!" I took him from James and spoke softly to him as I carried him back to our room. James trailed behind me as I laid him back in our bed and tucked him back in, letting him drink from his cup. His eyes slowly closed again and he rolled onto his side. I kissed his forehead and left before he could wake up again. I turned to James.

"HE probably had another nightmare," I whispered, though why I did I couldn't tell you. "But see his brave face. We can wear brave faces too."

…

_Okay everybody. So Jacobi's full name (at least so far) is Jacobi Knight. What do you think of Mikhail, was it okay, or cute, for him to do that? And if you want to hear Jacobi's history, stick around._


	4. Chapter 4

_Okay so I made a small mistake. I switched around Kendall and James' nicknames for each other. Can happen to anyone, ya know? Okay so anyways, on with the story._

…

Kendall's POV

…

"Jacobi time to get ready to go to school!" I called out as I set out stuff for breakfast. In this house, _healthy_ was a foreign word. Everything we ate was loaded with sugar, including Jacobi's breakfast cereals. His newest favorite was Lucky Charms, with the new swirled moons in them. He came running out of the hall in only his pajama top. "Jacobi, where's your other daddy. He should've helped you get dressed." I heard the sounds of someone grumbling as the stomped down the hall. "Ah I see sleeping beauty two is up," I said brightly as I lifted Jacobi up onto his seat so he could eat. James came out smiling. "You're not fooling anyone babe," I said without even turning to look at him straight.

"He ran away before I could finish dressing him," James said, but he didn't sound mad. He could never be mad at our little angel of a boy who could do no wrong, at least on his own terms. Jacobi gave him a Lucky Charms smile and removed his pajama top. James slipped a black t-shirt with a monkey on it over his head, and slipped blue jeans on him. Jacobi swung his legs as he ate and watched James struggle to put on his socks.

"The bus is here," I whispered in James' ear. He made a face, but before we drifted off to Dreamville last night we agreed to let him ride the bus like he did every day. "Come on kiddo," I said as I slipped his backpack on his back. Jacobi ran out the front door and hopped up the bus steps. Logan was right. A night of uninterrupted sleep did wonders for his temper today. He seemed more like his happy-go-lucky self. James waved and took my hand for support. I gently squeezed. "Hey babe, wanna look at Jacobi's early photos?" Normally that took his mind of things. He sighed and turned to me.

"Sure baby," he said softly, retrieving Jacobi's late baby book from the shelf where we kept it. He turned to the first page. I gave a low chuckle as we studied the photo. Jacobi was three when we brought him home, and this was taken on that day. It was summer, so we were all outside. Jacobi was in only a pull up and (surprisingly enough) a cowboy hat. He sat on the new bike we'd bought him when we knew we were going to adopt a boy. He was grinning for the camera, showing off his white teeth. James smiled sadly and turned to the next page. "Oh baby, look," he breathed as we saw the photo. It didn't matter how many times we saw it, it still brought tears to both our eyes. It was Jacobi at the orphanage where we adopted him, looking through the glass window at us with his big brown eyes. That day we signed up to adopt a kid, and a week later we brought Jacobi home.

"Oh babe," I said softly as we studied Jacobi's little face. "What a precious baby boy he truly is. And it's a miracle he's alive and well." James slammed the book shut and replaced it on the bookshelf. I watched him intently, studying his movements. "James I'm worried about him," I said, voicing both of our thoughts. "He's too young to even know what being gay is, much less how to control it if he is. Are we influencing him baby?" James whirled around and looked at me.

"God almighty baby I hope not," James said softly as he crushed me in a hug.

…

Jacobi's POV

…

"You're feeling better!" As soon as I walked into Mr. Mitchell's room a wall of weight crashed into me and nearly made me lose my balance. "Sorry," Mikhail mumbled as he untangled himself. A few other kids snickered, and Mr. Mitchell gave us a worried look. "No more crankiness?" he asked. I nodded and wandered over to the reading corner.

"My daddies were worried about me," I finally responded, not knowing what to say. "If you think this has me shaken, you should see my dark haired daddy. James." I don't know why I said his name, since I never say it, and it sounded foreign on my lips. But Mikhail seemed to put two and two together in his head (so to speak, we can't add yet) and he nodded. "I don't like being beat up. But it makes him furious. What do the call me? Oh, their precious angel." It seemed weird that I knew that, since they'd never actually _said_ it to me. Maybe I'd heard it while I slept.

"I was made too, but I was more concerned than mad," Mikhail replied. I nodded. I knew that one. I'd heard the kissing story. Which reminded me…

"Did you actually kiss me yesterday?" I questioned my best friend. He turned a brighter shade of red than the beanbag chair I was sitting on. He shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably and finally looked at his black shoes.

"Yes," he mumbled to the carpet. "But it wasn't on the lips or anything. Just the forehead. I'm not gay any more than you are." That relieved me but at the same time it…disappointed me? That was really strange. The recess bell sounded, ending my train of thought. We all lined up and filed outside, dispersing like trapped water when we got out. As usual, I sat by the fence, observing the other students. Mikhail sat next to me again, silent and brooding.

"So why'd you kiss my forehead?" I asked as I recovered my thoughts from the empty void which was my brain. Mikhail started pulling up blades of grass in an attempt to not talk, but I kept looking at him until he tossed them aside (unsuccessfully I might add, for future references).

"Look Jacobi," he began carefully, guard going up like this chain link fence. "I was worried about you, and when I saw that all you needed was sleep, I was relieved. It was a spur of the moment thing and it will never happen again." I was speechless. Why was I so disappointed by that?

…

Kendall's POV

…

"James, he will arrive on the bus safe and sound. You're overreacting. If something happened to him, Logan would have called us." James stood by the window that looked out towards the street (a nice bay window I might add, it really let it in the sunlight), occasionally pacing the floor, only to stand at attention by the window again. It's like we lived in Buckingham Palace. I sighed and went into the kitchen to get a snack ready for Jacobi. I set out chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven (James is the baker in the family, I grill and cook on the stove), and his sippy cup filled with chocolate milk. I heard the door open, and figured Jacobi was getting off the bus.

"Daddy, daddy!" Jacobi called as he rushed in. He smacked into my legs, causing me to stagger a little bit. He wrapped his arms around my legs and squeezed with all the strength his little four-year-old body would allow. I smiled and reached down and swung him in the air. He squealed with laughter, the sound filling the whole house with a warmth we didn't feel when he was gone. I set him in his seat. "Oooh cookies!" he exclaimed, shoving half of one into his mouth. James snorted with laughter and held his sides. I tried to keep a straight face, but failed miserably.

"Okay big guy, slow down or you'll get a tummy ache," I said, ruffling his hair. He nodded his understanding and swallowed a little bit of it at a time. He picked up his cup and took a long drink of milk. James sighed and shook his head. I grinned at him, circled around the table, and wrapped my arms around his waist. His slight frown turned into a grin that spread ear to ear as he leaned in closer and gently brushed his lips to mine.

"Daddies!" Jacobi cried, covering his face. James and I both laughed as we began tickling his stomach. He laughed right along with us, squirming in his seat and finally slipping to the floor. He bolted down the hall, having the advantage of being fast and small. James started to go after him, but I grabbed his shirtsleeve and shook my head. He understood, and instead helped himself to a cookie.

…

Later on, shortly after dinner, James and I were snuggled up on the couch, watching what Jacobi called a "grown up movie." Jacobi was in his room, playing with his cars and road rug we bought him when he first moved in with us. We heard him occasionally, talking to his cars like they were real things. Ah the youths' imagination. I heard the little pitter-patter of feet in the hallway, and a moment later Jacobi's little head peeked out at us.

"Come here pumpkin," I said, scooting over so he could sit between James and me. He sat down, and his expression was strangely subdued. "Jacobi, sweetie, what's wrong." He turned to look at me.

"Mikhail told me why he kissed me," he said quietly.

A look with James.

"He said it was because he was worried about me, so when he saw me he was relieved and did it without thinking." I raised an eyebrow at James. Out little boy sounded older right now. "He said he wasn't gay any more than I was," he continued, pretending not to notice our over his head exchange. "Daddy, is it a bad thing that I was disappointed?" James' eyes widened so much I was sure they were about to pop out of the sockets.

"Um…" I said dumbly, racking my brain. What do you say to a four year old who asks you if it's a bad thing if he was disappointed by something like that? "I suppose not…" I said, trailing off. "Say why don't you go play for a little while more before we come tuck you in." He slipped off the couch and practically bounced down the hall. "James that's a serious problem," I hissed as soon as he was out of earshot.

"I know," James hissed back. "But what can we do? I guess now he truly will have to hold a torch he won't want."

…

_Okay everyone, what do you think? Sweet moment between James, Kendall, And Jacobi!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Okay, so this chapter is going to be Kendall and James based. We'll get to see more with Jacobi in the next chapter. _

…

James' POV

…

"Baby, I think we are influencing him, just a little," I said as I paced the floor, leaving marks to show where I'd been. Kendall followed my movements with only his eyes, bottle green eyes that couldn't even begin to fathom the amount of worry we both felt at that point. I ran my fingers insistently through my hair, pulling a few out. On a normal day, I would've flipped out and began my usual ritual of perfecting it once again, but tonight I felt no such motive. My only thought, stuck on replay in my head like a broken IPod, _was My son is gay. _Kendall and I were out and proud and damn to hell loud about it, but Jacobi, despite only being four, we tried to keep away from that life. We didn't want anyone else influencing his life either.

"Babe, tone it down a notch. I only just replaced the carpet last month when Jacobi had the chicken pox, and you couldn't go near him for a week." It was a lame attempt at a joke, but an attempt all the same. I gave him a wane smile and turned to stare down the hall. I'd tucked Jacobi in about an hour ago, so by now the sandman should've paid him a visit and let him drift off to slumber, if nightmares didn't get him first. "I don't think he like likes Mikhail," Kendall added, penetrating my foggy brain and grabbing my attention instantly. "Mikhail's just his only friend. Perhaps if we find him a nice female friend…" The puzzle pieces clicked into place.

"Brilliant baby brilliant!" I cheered in triumph. Setting our son up at four seemed a little extreme, but at this point I was willing to try anything. "He can't like, like Mikhail anyway," I said mildly. "Last I heard, Mikhail was straight as an arrow." Kendall smirked and ran his fingers up my thigh.

"Exactly babe, nothing to worry about," he murmured soothingly. While we were both exhausted from the day we'd had, we were far from sleep. Jacobi's little voice still banged in my head like an out of control gong, that, if left unattended, could give me such a headache.

"Daddy?" Kendall and I turned at the same time. "Um, blonde daddy." I sat back and rested my back comfortably on the couch as Kendall got up, took Jacobi's hand, and led him down the hall, talking to him quietly. I closed my eyes and let Jacobi's words wash over me once again. _Please son_, I begged silently. _You can't be gay. Just because Kendall and I are, doesn't mean you have to be the same way. _

"He had to go potty," Kendall said, emerging from the hall. "And he wanted help." I smiled. As grown up as Jacobi could seem sometimes, he was still our little baby boy. Kendall settled down next to me and laid his head on my lap. I looked down and saw he had his beautiful bottle green eyes closed, lost in thought. I felt the same way at that point. Our son…I didn't want him influenced by our behaviors. "Babe?" I opened by eyes (unaware I'd closed them in the first place) and looked down at him. "Were we right to adopt Jacobi? Is he in the right home?"

"Baby of course he is. We wouldn't have brought him home if it wasn't meant to be." I turned away from him so he wouldn't see the tears in my eyes. I'd been thinking the same thing. I didn't want to say it out loud though. Saying it out loud made it seem…more real somehow. "Don't you worry about a thing." I was surprised my voice didn't crack. "I'm going to bed," I announced, getting up, despite the fact it was only eight.

…

Kendall's POV

…

I lay awake hours after James made the announcement he was going to bed. I placed my hands behind my head and stared at the white ceiling of our living room. Jacobi's new behavior was strange, even for him. He was a pretty wacky kid to begin with, but acting like it was possible he was…no. He couldn't be. He just couldn't be. I rolled onto my side and stared at the back of the couch, which seemed comforting a little while ago, but was no suffocating me. I sat up and laid my head between my legs.

"Daddy, do you see something?" I jerked up and saw Jacobi standing in front of me, head cocked to the side questioningly. I smiled slightly and picked him up, setting him on my lap. "Daddy you never answered my question. Did you see something on the carpet?" Besides my dignity, I waned to tell him.

"No pumpkin," I said, rocking him back and forth. "Daddy was just thinking." He looked up at me with his innocent brown eyes?

"Is that how gays think?" I nearly choked on my own spit. Be that as it may, I coughed for quite awhile. Jacobi kept staring at me with his big brown eyes, and I stared back at him. "Is it? 'Cause if so, Mikhail thinks like that too." I closed my eyes. God almighty I didn't want to hear that.

"No sweetie," I replied, thinking on my toes. "Daddy also has a small headache, so he was resting his head a little." I stood up and walked Jacobi back to his room. "Now let's get you all tucked in and snuggled up to go ni ni." He yawned in response. I tucked him into his bed with his blanket and watched him roll onto his side and close his eyes. I turned on his nightlight and gently closed his door on the way out. I slumped against the wall across from his room. Why did he have to question me like that?

…

I opened my eyes, and groaned in protest. I'd fallen asleep against the wall, so there was a horrible crick in my neck. James stood over me, goofy grin on his face. I feebly swatted at his legs, but I wasn't really mad. Just upset about mine and Jacobi's conversation last night. I should tell James, but I didn't really want to upset him any more than he already was. And this morning he seemed to be in a better mood.

"I see someone was too tired to make it to bed," he joked, helping me to my feet. I stared at him groggily, yawning. "Okay baby, time to wake up fully. We need to talk." I was fully awake now, at James' prompting. "Baby, I think it's almost time to end Jacobi and Mikhail's friendship." I swallowed.

"I couldn't agree more babe," I mumbled. "I talked with Jacobi last night. He saw me with my head between my legs, you know how I think." James nodded, motioning me to go on. "He asked if that was how gay people thought. And here's the kicker. He said Mikhail thought like that too. James, he's starting to make connections in that little brain of his." James gave me a look so filled with worry it about took the breath out of me.

"That's not good baby," he said quietly. "Not good at all." James turned to look at Jacobi's room. Our little boy was still sleeping, thank the lord. I wouldn't want him up right now. "We could call Mikhail's mom, but what would that accomplish. Squat, that's what." I smiled at James' small attempt to lighten the mood. "She thinks he's the perfect little angel. I think Mikhail's also helping influence our son." That made some sort of sense, I suppose.

"I guess," I said uncertainly. I just hoped we weren't too late.

…

_Okay I know this chapter is short. It's kind of a filler chapter. It's supposed to show how James and Kendall react to Jacobi's new discovery. _


	6. Chapter 6

Hello loyal followers. This chapter may not turn out exactly like I plan, simply because the first version of this chapter got deleted when my school took back my laptop (curse them!). But anyways, now you get to see exactly what happens.

…

Kendall's POV

…

Of course the next day had to be Saturday, so that of course meant Jacobi was home with us for the whole day. James was quite content with that, but I was curious to see how the rest of Mikhail and Jacobi's conversation would turn out. I turned around when I heard some little boy giggles, and Jacobi ran toward me, little green towel wrapped around his lanky frame. I smiled and scooped him up.

"Now why'd you leave daddy when he was giving you a bath?" I asked, smile clearly evident on my face. Jacobi giggled again as I carried him back to his room. His blonde hair stuck up in various directions, and his brown eyes were full of child-like mischief. Sighing (although I wasn't really mad) I set him on his bed. "Where is your dark-haired daddy anyway?" I asked myself as I gathered up an outfit for him to wear. Even at four, he needed constant looking over.

"Batroom," Jacobi said in his little sing-song voice, adding a giggle for affect. Smiling, I made my way over to him and helped him slip on his blue jean shorts and one of many Cars shirts.

"Jacobi!" James's voice was rising as panic set in. I debated whether or not to keep him in that state a little longer, then decided that such a thing would not be good for his health.

"In here, babe!" I called. James ran in, clothes ruffled and hair matching Jacobi's new style. "James, calm down. Jacobi is perfectly fine. He ran into the living room after you weren't looking." I had to smirk at him. He didn't look the slightest bit amused.

"Oh thank goodness," he said, planting a kiss on Jacobi's forehead. "I turn around to grab the comb and he takes off. It's a good thing you brought him here." Just then, the doorbell rang. James and I looked at each other in surprise. We weren't expecting anybody. "I'll get it," he decided quickly, recovering his composure. He ran to the door. Finished with the mind-numbing task of getting my four-year-old dressed, we both silently followed him.

"Oh hi, Mikhail," I heard, and my heart sank to my knees. Mikhail was over here? Today? "Um, I guess we could watch him for a couple hours." The door slammed shut, and if little ears weren't present, I'm sure my loving husband would've let loose a string of words so vile pirates would be washing his mouth out with soap.

"Mikhail!" Jacobi cried, running into the living room. James smiled at our little boy, then swept passed him and grabbed my arm.

"Baby," he hissed as he tugged me into the relative safety of our room. "I don't know how I feel about having Mikhail here. If he's helping influence our precious angel…" He let the sentence trail off and simply shrugged. I knew exactly how he felt. I was having mixed feelings myself. "We just have to get through it," he finished for me, and I nodded. There wasn't a lot we could do.

…

Jacobi's POV

…

"Why are you so tired?" Mikhail asked me, causing me to jerk awake with a start (despite the fact I had no idea I was falling asleep in the first place). "You've slept a lot these days," he continued, unaware that I'd only half heard what he said beforehand. In response, I yawned.

"I don't know," I slurred, rubbing my eyes. "Ni' mares I guess. They've kept me up every night this week." Mikhail nodded his understanding. Last night's had been especially bad. I would never tell my daddies it was about being called "dyke tyke" or the vicious beating I'd taken only a couple of days previously. They were worried enough as it is. "Mikhail…" I began uncertainly. He turned to me, giving me his undivided attention. "My ni' mare last night… it was about being beaten up." He moved closer to me and gave me a hug. I have no idea why, but it made my feel a little better. I rested my head on his shoulder, fisting his shirt. "I don't like waking my daddies with it either. I love them of course, but this seems like a thing I should deal with myself." I'd never voiced that before.

"I don't think they want that," Mikhail said thoughtfully, closing his eyes like he was picturing something. "No," he added, almost to himself. "They don't want you to go at it alone. They don't want you to bear this giant weight without someone to help you carry it." With some surprise, I realized that last part was directed at me.

"Then why do I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders," I mumbled, quiet enough so no one could hear.

…

James's POV

…

The rest of the day went on uneventfully. The boys ate lunch, Jacobi went to his room for a nap while Mikhail stretched out on the couch, and both played until Mikhail's mother came to pick him up. Kendall was currently drawing with him at the kitchen table while I gave the laundry some much needed attention.

"So Jacobi Reece Knight," I called as I wandered into the kitchen, basket of clothes clutched firmly in my hands. "What did you think of your play date?" Was it my imagination, or did I really just see my four-year-old flinch. Kendall noticed it too and looked up at me. A thousand words were shared in the span of a few seconds with neither of us having to say a thing. I sat down, and we both went to work on the clothes. Jacobi continued to color happily like nothing was wrong.

"I'll be back," he said quietly, catching us both off guard with his serious behavior.

Another look was shared as he left.

"Baby," Kendall began, but I was too intent on the way our normally happy baby boy was walking. His shoulders were slumped and he was dragging his feet, like some unseen force was pushing him down. Tears threatened to spill again.

"Babe," I said quietly, motioning to Jacobi. A hundred emotions fought for dominance on his face, but one finally won out: sadness. We both knew what was wrong with our son. He was carrying a weight he didn't want and certainly didn't deserve. Perhaps adopting him was a bad idea after all. The picture above our shove caught my eye then. Of Jacobi, Kendall, and myself, standing in front of the house. Jacobi was standing between us, big smile on his face. He was wearing the little fake tux shirt we'd bought him on our mini shopping spree. He looked so at ease, so happy. My eyes hardened. We couldn't give up. We would find a way to make everything work. For our precious baby boy. Even if it meant the inevitable.

"Kendall," I said quietly, and he seemed to sense what I was thinking.

"We can make this work, _together_," he said, laying a little extra stress on the word. "Remember, Jacobi is a symbol of our shared future. We can't split simply because of a few bullies. Everything runs its course after awhile anyway." I nodded. My husband had a point after all.

…

_Like the sweet Jacobi/Mikhail moment? Perhaps there will be more of those in the future. Maybe not if James and Kendall decide to not let them be friends any more. _


End file.
